Impressions of Kane and Lynch 2’s multiplayer

To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Kane and Lynch. I thought it was a cool idea, but the game itself was pretty boring to me. So my expectations for the second one were pretty low. I wasn’t able to touch on the single player in number 2, but if the multiplayer is any indication, Kane and Lynch 2 may end-up being a game worth having. Many of the MP modes that were found in the original are again included here, but with a lot of refinements. The only mode I was able to play was the best from the first game, Cops and Robbers. They’ve done a great job with balancing straight team gameplay, but by adding the twists of becoming a traitor to your team so you can grab a fallen comrade’s loot is where the fun comes in. Also, if a traitor takes you out, you can then spawn on the opposing team so that you can exact your revenge on the traitor, and of course get your loot back (along with whatever else he had in his possession.) It’s a great take on the team dynamic, and was a lot of fun to play.

Visuals are pretty unique this time around, as IO Interactive purposely applied a new visual style that is set to mimic that of a Flip-cam or a video you may see on Youtube (kind-of a grainy, semi washed-out look.) Also, and it can be disabled, they’ve added a unique take on the handicam or “shaky cam” look while you run. Standing as close as I was in the demo, it was a bit off-putting, but when I watched someone else run, the effect was excellent.

Overall I am quite interested in Kane and Lynch 2, but I won’t pass any judgment until I can get my hands on the full game.